


Side Note

by aliciajazmin



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, F/M, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Post-Series 03: Children of Earth (Torchwood)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:13:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24673669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliciajazmin/pseuds/aliciajazmin
Summary: A few months after her best friend's funeral, Gwen runs into Rhiannon while grocery shopping. Ianto's sister has some questions and Gwen has some things she needs to say to her.
Relationships: Gwen Cooper & Ianto Jones, Gwen Cooper & Rhiannon Davies, Gwen Cooper/Rhys Williams, Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones mentioned
Comments: 10
Kudos: 45





	Side Note

It all started with Rhys calling her, saying he forgot to add grapes and butter to the shopping list. Gwen went back into the shop after he finished the call with letting her know he would be a bit late picking her up.

“Don’t worry. I can wait, Rhys,” she reassured him.

Getting to the front of the line with her second purchase, she smiled apologetically at the cashier, pulling out her credit card. She handed it to the cashier.

She glanced down at her baby bump, which reminded her of the purple top she wouldn’t be able to wear for a long time. It made her wish she had gotten more use out of it before everything.

The cashier handed back her card, only for Gwen to drop it. Shit. Turning around, she kneeled down to pick it up but then heard someone say, “Oh no, let me get that for you.”

A familiar voice. Gwen was then face-to-face with someone she knew, who picked up her card. She kept on seeing her best friend everywhere, which is why she didn’t even drink decaf anymore. This was different, though. She tried to quickly wipe the shock off of her face. Rhiannon Davies.

“Here.” Rhiannon practically shoved the card into Gwen’s hand, averting her gaze. Gwen and Rhiannon stood up.

Gwen quickly turned back around to the counter, finishing her purchase and quickly leaving. She sort of wanted to ask how Rhiannon was doing but the frown she had seen on her face told her that maybe she shouldn’t.

Once she got outside, she sighed and leaned against the shop window, watching cars pass by. Hopefully, her husband wouldn’t be much longer.

In her peripheral, saw Rhiannon leave the shop with a bag and stand there. Rhiannon looked around and noticed Gwen. “What are you waiting for?”

“My husband. He’s supposed to pick me up. Traffic’s a bit much, though,” Gwen said. “What about you, then?”

“Johnny and the kids are at home. I’m just doing some shopping. I’m waiting for a friend.” Rhiannon checked her grocery bag, shuffling some things around inside it.

Gwen sat down her shopping bags at her feet. “How are they? Your kids?”

“Fine. Been better.”

“Right.”

An uncomfortable silence sat between them, with nothing but the sound of cars and the doors opening and closing, as people walked through the gap in between them to leave and enter the shop.

Gwen wanted to say something to make her feel better, to make herself feel better but she had already apologized enough. She was still reeling a bit from the feeling that she had seen a ghost, and she thought about _that_ conversation when she had to tell her best friend's sister that he was dead.

__

__

“I did know him,” Gwen said without thinking. Rhiannon looked at her. “I did, though. Rhiannon, really I did.” She remembered a conversation she had with Ianto, something that made her smile. “Do you know what words he used when I asked him if he liked Abba? ‘Poptastic danceability.’ Never in my life did I think I would hear those words out of that man’s mouth.”

Gwen caught a flicker of a smile on Rhiannon’s face. A sad one but a smile nonetheless. “I remember that he did like Abba.”

“He made it a point to tell me that he loathed Dancing Queen,” Gwen said, amused.

“I remember him saying something like that to mum! He is… was just wrong about that.”

Gwen laughed, nearly letting out a sob. She blamed it on pregnancy hormones.

“What about him and his boss… Jack?” Rhiannon asked hesitantly.

Thinking about Jack made her heart hurt, wondering where he was and knowing that he wasn’t okay. How could one person carry so much grief? But she didn’t want to let down Ianto’s sister. She felt like talking about Ianto was making her feel better. “What about them?”

“What were they like?”

“Twins. They were like twins. Finishing each others’ sentences and driving me up the bloody wall, those boys.” Gwen chuckled. “Those bastards loved each other a lot but I swear that neither of them would’ve ever admitted it,” she said quietly.

“Why wasn’t Jack at the funeral?”

Gwen’s stomach dropped. “He left.”

“Why? Why would he leave?” Rhiannon said. Her voice filled with confusion and frustration.

“I think he feels guilty like it was his fault.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“That’s Jack.”

There was a moment of silence and then, “Where did he go?”

“He didn’t tell me. Anywhere, everywhere.” Gwen sighed.

“What about you and Ianto? You said that you knew him. What were you two like?”

“I trusted him with my life and he was there for me on my wedding day. He picked out and bought my wedding dress! It was... beautiful. He’s a pretty good DJ, it also turns out,” Gwen answered. “There was this… thing was being kept from me. He helped me find it. He knew me, he knew I wouldn’t give up until I found it. I know he lied about his dad but we all lie, don’t we? To our friends, our families… we lie about some things because it’s easier. I don’t know why he lied but that doesn’t change all that time I spent with him. It shouldn’t.”

Rhiannon’s face was wet with tears at this point. “I’m sorry-”

“No, don’t be.”

A car pulled up, Rhys in the driver’s seat. “Gwen! You ready?”

“Rhys!” Gwen smiled. She looked at Rhiannon. “Maybe I’ll see you around again?”

“Maybe…” Rhiannon nodded, regaining some composure. “Thanks. I wish he was still here." 

"Me, too."

“Congratulations on the pregnancy by the way.” Rhiannon gave her a slight smile.

"Thank you, Rhiannon." Gwen picked up her bags and got in the car, giving Rhys a kiss on the cheek.

“Are you alright, love?” Rhys asked, looking worried. “You’ve been crying.”

Gwen wiped the tears off her face. “I’m fine. Really.” She had to admit it had almost been therapeutic, being able to finally got to say her piece.

Rhys started driving them home. “That woman looked familiar. So who was she?”

And Gwen told him.

**Author's Note:**

> The Abba stuff is from a conversation Gwen and Ianto had in The Twilight Streets, which I actually haven't read in its entirety, only this convo.
> 
> I feel really self-conscious about posting this but I hope it turned out okay. Leave a kudos/comment if you liked this! I'm @toshsato on tumblr!


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